Don't Make This Easy
by Adrianna Rhode
Summary: "It's like being hit by several moving vans. He had thought that he could leave his problems back on the road. Obviously he's not quite that lucky." Based on All Time Low's 'Jasey Rae'.


A/N: Yeah, I haven't used this account for posting in a long, long time. But my girl Avalon Taylor Kingsley (username not real name) really deserved a new fic so I wrote this one. It's based on my very favorite All Time Low song, a beautiful sad piece by the name of "Jasey Rae". The song speaks volumes, and it's the core of this story. So please listen to it as you read. I hope you all like this!

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Kendall thinks he's coping pretty well during all of those weeks between Georgia and California. He finally gets out of his bunk in Nashville. He lets loose a real smile in Denver. He manages to not feel bad at all in Los Angeles…until he looks out into the audience. Then it's like being hit by several moving vans. He had thought that he could leave his problems back on the road. Obviously he's not quite that lucky.

He can still hear the rain beating down on the metal roof of the tour bus. He can feel the warmth of Aly's mouth as she kissed along his jawline. He's so wrapped up in the slew of emotions that fall on him like an avalanche that he stumbles over the chords of Cover Girl, his mistakes on the guitar strings mocking him like the girl he once showered with praise right out of that very same song.

But as Aly stares daggers at him from the front row of his sold-out concert, Kendall isn't angry. His fighting spirit that endears him to everyone he knows is absent, replaced by the cool shame of his conscience. He knows exactly what he's done.

At the next wardrobe change, James comes up to him with panic in his eyes.

"It's Aly King."

Kendall sighs, looking up at his best friend with guilty eyes, "I know."

"What are you gonna do?" James asks gently, putting a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"Let her do whatever it is she wants to do. I have to talk to her."

"You're a good guy, Knight. Now get your clothes on or you'll miss the next number."

Kendall wishes he could just skip out on the rest of the show. It's hard to play for a crowd of screaming girls, no matter how much they love him, when his best- and worst-ever one-night stand is front and center.

As he takes his place on the metal stairs of their concert set, Kendall can see the spotlights dancing, passing over Aly, making her dark hair shine. She's in some sort of incredible sundress that hugs her curves just right and looks like it is woven from rose petals. At least, it's the color of the roses that used to grow outside his Minnesota home in the summer.

Feeling a bit disgusted by the sentiment, Kendall makes sure to meet her eyes every opportunity he has. Maybe she won't see how scared he is to face her.

Kendall has never been good at restraining himself. When he sees a girl like Aly, a girl who shines like she has no other purpose but to shine, he goes for it. Which is how she ended up spending the night on the Kendall-James tour bus during a layover between concerts in Atlanta.

"_You couldn't possibly mean to say you're here alone?" Kendall smirks at the girl in front of him, all raised eyebrows and charm._

"_I am. Nobody understands the attraction of boybands like I do," she counters._

_Kendall laughs, "You have good taste."_

Looking back, Kendall knows what he chooses to say is all wrong. Promises that he can't keep mix with compliments he truly means. It's a cocktail of good intentions and bad results. To be fair, things go downhill when she says that Cover Girl is her favorite song. Kendall has a serious thing for girls who like _his_ songs.

"_Well, I think you're a superstar," Kendall murmurs._

_The girl, Aly, Aly King, snorts with derision, "Please. You hang out with models and actresses. The beautiful people."_

"_You think you can't measure up? You're wrong. You're so pretty, it hurts," he intones, pressing a kiss to the curve of her shoulder._

So yeah, one-night stands are a bad idea. Kendall knows that now. He just wishes this one would stop haunting him. He would say he's dreaming, but Aly stays in the crowd through the whole show, staring fixedly at him with an expression that suggests she'd much rather light him on fire than sleep with him now.

The concert ends all too soon. Kendall hurries to put on something clean, anything that isn't soaked in sweat like the concert wardrobe. He hopes his face doesn't reflect how much he wants to cower in the corner until she leaves.

He had given Aly an all-access pass back in Atlanta, and he kicks himself for it now. She uses it to walk right past security, right past the rest of the band (who are all in various states of undress), right up to Kendall. Who may or may not be hyperventilating.

"Kendall."

The ice in her tone makes Kendall flinch. He tries really hard not to, but he flinches.

"You know why I'm here, Kendall," Aly pushes.

Kendall nods slowly.

"And you know that you taking advantage of me was probably the worst thing I've ever been through," she continues, a steely glint in her eyes.

Another nod.

Something seems to wilt inside Aly as she continues to stare at him, her voice quieter than the shout she'd been using, "Nothing to say for yourself? No regrets, Knight, is that it? Do you tell all the fans that they're perfect? Do they all get the superstar treatment on the tour bus and then get kicked to the curb as soon as you leave town, promises of fame and a leg up pushed to the wayside? You promised me love, Kendall. And a name for myself. And I believed you."

Kendall finds his voice in the midst of these accusations, and he's ready with an answer.

"Aly," he sighs, "Yes. I'd be lying if I said I didn't know what I did. I just liked you too much to not act on it. I didn't mean for you to get hurt in the process."

Aly's eyes are still boring into him, but she uncrosses her arms, opening up to his apology.

"Look, you can call me a name. Kill me with words. You should just forget about me, you know it's what I deserve. I said I was your chance to get out of your town and your life, but I left you behind," Kendall is pleading now, almost yelling in his insistance.

Seconds tick by. Aly says nothing. Kendall turns around, not wanting to face her silent fury anymore. But as he stands, back to this girl who he likes so much and who he hurt so badly, a hand grabs his shoulder and spins him.

Kendall tries not to be surprised as Aly's lips crash onto his, all messy and angry. He kisses back, encircling her in his arms. They stand there, swaying on the spot, pouring all of their pent-up emotions into this one amazing kiss.

When they both run out of breath and pull apart, Aly leans in close to Kendall's ear, whispering, "I hope you know that you can't get rid of me that easy."

He looks down at Aly, not sure if he's hearing properly, "What?"

"Nobody plays me like that, Knight. I'm in this for the long run. Why do you think I'm here?"

And in spite of himself, Kendall smiles. Oh, yeah. That's why he picked this girl.

"I'm in if you're in."


End file.
